Interview with Ming Dao | Has the original "overbearing president" who became popular overnight changed?


1905 movie network feature He was only 24 years old when he gained widespread attention with "The Wedding Dress of the Kingdom of Heaven". A year later, he became an "idol male god" who fascinated thousands of girls.


"Does it feel like reaching a peak? I’m a little confused." Looking back at that unforgettable past, Ming Dao lamented in an interview with the "Dialogue" program of the 1905 film network. "At that time, I didn’t think it was a peak or not. [Popularity] was a more complicated thing. For example, someone recognized me and became my long-term state."



Seven or eight years after the performance of "The Prince Turns into a Frog", the scripts handed to Ming Dao were all idol dramas. He starred in "Love Mage", "Star Apple Paradise", "Angel Lover" and other works, further establishing his status as an "idol male god".


In the public’s memory, he has been rooted in the "Boss Tyrant" track for a long time.When it comes to whether he wants to jump out of the "comfort zone", Ming Dao’s response is very direct: "It is useless for me to consider, at least in me, it is completely the result of the choice of market laws".



In recent years, Mingdao has had many attempts. He has acted in comedies, musicals, and studied live broadcasts, and his identity has become diverse. In the complex waves of the times, if you don’t advance, you will retreat. Stick to your original intention and be yourself, Mingdao is so self-comforting.


Mike, the gentle and humorous "ex-husband" in "The Future", recently returned to the public eye as an elite figure in suits and ties. In the face of audience comments, he admitted that he would pay attention, but not much, "I go out to work, and I go home when I get home.


"To me, the word’Ming Dao ‘is a job, not an identity. My job is acting, that’s all."



"Try Comedy"


"The Future of Massive" tells the story of Ma Shang (played) searching for hope in despair. In middle age, Ma Shang encounters a marital crisis, bears heavy debts, and reaches a desperate situation in life. Corresponding to this is his ex-wife and current wife, Mark, who wears famous brands and drives luxury cars without the slightest pressure of being ravaged by life.


The story is wrapped in comedy with the core of tragedy. After the director initially cast Bao Bell as Ma Shang, he hoped to find a Taiwanese actor to combine with his Northeast style, thus forming a sharp contrast. Therefore, Ming Dao joined the crew and tried a rare comedy performance.



A lot of the comedy baggage in the play comes from Bao Bell, especially the homophonic stems and small details. "Northeast Comedian" gave "Taiwan Puppet Male God" a lot of fresh excitement.


Ma Shang had a car accident in the tunnel, and when he woke up, he wanted to express his anger, but he didn’t expect to be answered by Mark, and the original inelegant words turned into intermittent lines, "I’m super, super, super, super lucky". Ma Shang, who couldn’t hide his anger, wanted to beat Mark, but he didn’t expect Mark to humorously take the "weapon", which formed a strong contrast effect.



"The script doesn’t say who is joking or joking, and a lot of ideas come from Bao Bell, but I don’t have many ideas." Ming Dao, who calls himself an ideal performer, is used to doing his homework, and is more of a listener on the set, not deliberately adding or cutting plot.


He wrote a biography of Mike early on: "He was adopted by a very good family from an early age, and he was gentle and enthusiastic. When he was a teenager, he learned about his background, which was a little difficult to accept, so he ventured outside, and when he grew up, he returned to the normal track of life."


Ming Dao gave Mike a lot of background settings, giving him the rationality of his behavior and explaining the root cause of his desperately trying to save people in the tunnel. He was adopted and cherished the interpersonal relationships around him.



Creating biographies of characters has always been a way for Mingdao to enter the role.


"When I played my first role, I didn’t know I had to do these things, and I didn’t need to do them at that time. When I was in the idol drama, I was at that age, and it was enough to watch myself. After a few performances, I realized that I couldn’t act the same."


The accumulation of experience and the growth of age have made Ming Dao more and more aware of the physical clarity of behavior for everyone he plays, even in the face of the same role, he also hopes to perform a different taste.


"Overbearing President"


"’The Kingdom of Heaven’s Wedding Dress’ turned me into an idol actor, which was a big turning point." At the age of 24, Ming Dao rose to fame in the film and television industry with the role of "Cheng Hainuo", which changed his destiny ever since.


Contrary to his image as a spendthrift in film and television, Ming Dao was born into an ordinary family, and he would take advantage of the winter and summer vacations to help his family sell dried fish and turn the vegetable market into a playground. During his growth journey, he was surrounded by neighbors who ran for life, not the social elites who were well-dressed.


If "Cheng Hainuo" still had some similarities with Ming Dao, then "Shan Junhao" came from two completely different worlds.



Ming Dao admitted frankly that among all the roles he had played, "Shan Junhao" had changed him the most.


In his original life, there were no business elites in suits and ties, nor rich young masters like "Shan Junhao". In the first episode of "Prince Turns Frog", Ming Dao, who wore a black suit and got off the luxury car, became the dream lover of countless girls. The audience praised him without hesitation, he had his own aristocratic temperament, and his every move was elite.


Little did he know that in order to perform the scene from getting off the bus to entering the hotel, he once ran to the door of the hotel to study how wealthy people got out of the car and walked.



As "Prince Turns Frog" broke the ratings record of "Meteor Garden" and set off a whirlwind of drama chasing in Asia, Ming Dao also gained a place in the field of idol dramas with his handsome appearance, and "Boss Ba" became a solidified label on his body. Seven or eight years after "Prince Turns Frog" aired, almost all the scripts handed to him were idol dramas, and he also contracted the public’s expectations for "Boss Ba" through works such as "Love Magician", "Star Apple Paradise" and "Angel Lover".


"Overbearing CEO actually has nothing to do with’overbearing ‘."


Looking back at his past roles, Ming Dao was a little helpless. He didn’t understand why everyone would interpret the character’s behavior as "overbearing". Take Shan Junhao as an example, he was just a person who thought things very clearly, and there was no such thing as overbearing or not overbearing. Ming Dao didn’t think about this at all when he performed.



Asked whether he wanted to step out of his "comfort zone", Ming Dao’s response was straightforward: "It’s useless for me to think about it. At the beginning, I didn’t want to act in idol dramas. The choice of actors is more based on market positioning. It’s hard for others to see the other side of Ming Dao, and I can’t always give you a Tai Chi."


During the interview, Ming Dao was sincere and helpless.Unlike most actors, who felt that fantasies were meaningless, he never dreamed of playing a certain type of role. "It’s not that playing a murderer completes the transformation, nor that suddenly becoming thin can become a good actor who pays for the play. If he plays a murderer, he is still in love? What if he plays a domineering president, but he doesn’t fall in love? So is the role meaningful?"


Mingdao, who had studied engineering, was extremely logical, and his vision of things always seemed to follow a specific engineering program. He cared more about how the outside world viewed his inner self than how he looked forward to the role.



"Fighting Fame"


For a long time, Ming Dao was fighting against fame."It’s not that I don’t want to be famous, of course I want to be famous, so that I can work more and earn more money." Ming Dao’s point of confrontation was to seek self-reconciliation.


From a grassroots background, he never imagined that he would become an actor, nor did he think that he would become famous, nor did he think that the price of fame would be that he could no longer walk into McDonald’s alone to buy a burger, nor could he walk down the street without being recognized.


He used to love riding a motorcycle and enjoying the pleasure of speed. But after becoming famous, even though the thick hard hat had blocked the contours of his face, he still couldn’t escape the sharp-eyed passers-by chasing him and shouting "Mingdao".


More than once on the road, passers-by would pull his backpack from behind. Although he knew that the other party was out of uncontrollable excitement, for a long time, he would still feel distressed about it, "As time goes by and I get older, I get used to it.



Ming Dao has been on the road of performing for 22 years.Whether it was a domineering president or an idol actor, no matter what label the public attached to him, when he was mentioned, everyone would still think of his amazing characters and classics that he had interpreted.


A few years ago, Ming Dao appeared in an entertainment variety show. A group of young actors sat in the audience, and everyone sighed. Watching his works grow up, even the instructor in the guest seat said politely, "Brother Ming Dao, my seniority is deeper than mine."



At that time, Ming Dao on the stage couldn’t help but joke about himself. After many years of debut, a friend told him, "Ming Dao, you may not be able to play the male lead in the future." After speaking, there were obvious tears in his eyes, and his voice began to choke, and then he explained that the first performance handed over on the variety stage was his first play that year (2019).



In our conversation, Ming Dao admitted that he had been in a state where the stock of works was small, and he wanted to participate when he saw a good film, but he would also feel regretful if he missed it.


"A low point depends on how you define it. If you measure it by how many films you make or how high or low your audience ratings are, there are indeed lows. But in my whole life, I’ve been filming, and lows are hard to define."


"To me, the word’Ming Dao ‘is a job, not an identity. My job is acting, that’s all."


Perhaps many people don’t know that Ming Dao has another name, Lin Chaozhang, which is the base color that really belongs to him.


Guo Fucheng dedicated himself to public welfare and played his father in the short film "1/2008"

Feature: Picture Channel


  On the evening of July 14, "HEART AID Sichuan", a large-scale benefit performance attended by more than ten famous singers and musicians from China, Japan and South Korea, including Guo Fucheng, Zheng Yijian, Lin Yilian, W-inds, Dongyi Hideu, JULY John-Hoon, and more than ten other famous singers and musicians from China, Japan and South Korea, was held in Tokyo, Japan. The picture shows Guo Fucheng singing "Strong" to cheer for Sichuan. Posted by China News Agency, photographed by Zhu Yanhua


  The "1/2008 Public Welfare Short Film Action" initiated by Shanghai Media Group is still underway. Directors such as Chen Kaige, Xie Jin, Zhang Yibai, Lu Chuan, Gu Changwei, Wang Xiaoshuai, Wang Guangli, and Chen Jialin have completed filming and started post productin. Recently, Guan Jinpeng also completed the shooting of the short film "Landing" in Hong Kong. Guo Fucheng, one of the "four kings" of Hong Kong’s entertainment industry, plays a husband waiting for his wife to give birth outside the delivery room. It is reported that Lin Baoyi, a famous Hong Kong TVB actor, has also joined the short film.


  ◎ Guan Jinpeng: The whole film should be full of true feelings


  Guan Jinpeng’s short film, titled "Landing", tells the story of a child who was born during the earthquake. Guan told reporters: "The idea came from a coverage. On the day of the earthquake, all the healthcare workers in Chengdu West China Hospital stayed at their posts and brought courage and health to the patients. Such a small thing, in the context of the earthquake, seems extraordinary. Art comes from life, so I think it should be interpreted as such a true story."


  Director Guan Jinpeng said that this activity initiated by SMG is very meaningful. The proceeds of the film can fund the reconstruction of the disaster area, and the film itself is a spiritual mutual assistance. Since it is necessary to convey the truth, the whole film must be filled with true feelings.


  ◎ Guo Fucheng: Contributing to the disaster area is an honor and an obligation


  In the past, Guo Fucheng gave the impression of the most handsome and good-dancing "King of Heaven", but in the film "Father and Son", Guo Fucheng’s acting skills were greatly praised and received rave reviews. Later, he won the "Golden Horse Award" for Best Actor. I don’t know if Guan Jinpeng invited Guo Fucheng to shoot a short film because of his recognition of his acting skills. When he received a call from Guan, saying that SMG had launched such a charity event and asked if he could come, Guo Fucheng’s reaction was: "Tell me the time and place, and I will definitely take this role." He said that it is an honor and an obligation to contribute a little to the disaster area. No matter how tight the schedule is, it will take time. In one scene, Guo Fucheng waits for his wife to give birth outside the delivery room during the earthquake. To simulate the tremors when an earthquake comes may seem difficult for a person who has not experienced a major earthquake, but he found the feeling after trying a few times. During the play, those real news images haunted his mind, so it was not very difficult to play such a character who experienced an earthquake. He said that knowing that all the proceeds of the film will be donated to the reconstruction of the disaster area is very meaningful. In fact, he has always wanted to contribute to the reconstruction of the disaster area, so he cherished SMG for providing such an opportunity, and he will definitely play this role seriously.

Editor in charge: Li Erqing

Di Lizheba Debuts "Sound" to Challenge a Mad Woman

Dilizheba

The second phase of the original sound charm competition show "Sound in Its Realm 2" created by Hunan Satellite TV will be broadcast at 20:10 this Friday (February 1), and the new generation of actor Di Lizheba will be surprised to join. Just as the theme of this issue is "The Voice That Can’t Be Hidden", Di Lizheba shows "Hidden Skills" to challenge the classic play "Hamlet" clips, and the hidden voice talent makes Zhang Tielin praise "new voice stars".

In this episode, Di Lizheba voiced the crazy woman Ophelia. As a classic character in "Hamlet", there are countless people who have played the role. This time Di Lizheba dared to challenge, and the pressure can be imagined. Character shaping is already difficult, and this performance is also mixed with singing elements. Di Lizheba chose not to watch the blind matching of the dubbing script, which is even more difficult. In this regard, Di Lizheba has done a lot of preparation work. On the one hand, she carefully speculates on the inner hearts of the characters, and on the other hand carefully memorizes the lines. At the scene, she is seen wearing a black shawl and staring at the dubbing screen. The voice sounded, and the "mentally deranged" Di Lizheba stood in front of Li Mai and muttered to herself, and the image of an abnormal crazy woman instantly jumped on the screen.

Dilizheba

As the plot progressed, Di Lizheba danced and sang, struggling and scratching his head, and the perfect interpretation made the Iron Triangle and the audience almost forget that this was dubbing. From a little sober to a complete loss of reason, Di Lizheba used her body as a supplement to control the "out of control" voice very smoothly and layered. The voice of the big white coffee guest praised: "If it were me, I might not know where the microphone is while dancing." And Teacher Wang Gang was even more generous: "Today, I saw the most authentic Reba that has settled down, except for the star aura, which amazed me. Her success is not without reason."

As the smallest voice on the stage of "Sound in the Realm", Di Lizheba showed amazing dubbing ability. Take "Hamlet" as an example, she did not flatten the characters, but used her professional quality to understand the characters, so that they were perfectly three-dimensional in front of the audience. The sound recognition is strong, and the sound characteristics are difficult to conceal. Even though there are many disadvantages in the voice, she still proved herself with strength. On stage, Di Lizheba revealed that she had done a lot of mental preparation and joined the show with a learning attitude. She said modestly: "The lines of the actors are very important for the shaping of the whole character, so here I am."

Benchmarking even surpassed "Black Myth: Wukong", and officially opened the image quality iteration plan against the cold

  Recently, NetEase’s flagship martial arts game Against the Water has once again announced detailed plans around the fourth anniversary expansion, one of which is quite exciting.

  That is, the anti-water cold will officially open the image quality iteration plan during the fourth anniversary, and will benchmark or even surpass the well-known stand-alone 3A games such as "Black Myth: Wukong", and upgrade the image quality of existing games in a short time.

  In fact, NetEase’s flagship martial arts game has been praised by players for its excellent graphics.

  Not long ago, the Anti-Water Cold development team made a major upgrade around the ice surface. In the game, it is actually difficult to present the ice surface well, because the light transmittance is different under different degrees of icing.

  For example, on the ice surface of West Lake, the temperature is not low enough, and the thickness of the ice layer is relatively thin, allowing you to clearly see the fish swimming under the ice surface.

  In some extremely cold places, the ice layer is thick, so it is impossible to see the underwater scene, which is difficult to figure out. Therefore, in the past, game manufacturers generally used the form of textures to solve the problem.

  The ice surface generated by the map has no change and no soul.

  So the programmers in the development team decided to make a new one themselves.

  Its principle is based on the physical simulation method, which is used to model the refraction reflection and scattering of ice materials and light when passing through ice.

  They also took into account ice cracks, bubbles, and other phenomena to achieve a better rendering effect.

  It can be said that the sticker ice in most games in the past was fake paper ice, and under the ice of the cold rivers and lakes, you can even see swimming schools of fish.

  Not only that, but the constant changes in day and night light, cloudy and sunny weather make the same scenery look different at different times, and the beauty presented is also different.

  But in fact, against the current cold has never been a game that satisfies the status quo. The development team has always hoped to bring players a sensory experience that goes beyond the limitations of the end game and the limitations of the times.

  Therefore, the image quality upgrade can be said to be one of the ambitions against the cold from the beginning. As for how big this ambition is, you can understand it after reading the picture below.

  Players can directly see the weeds and dead leaves in the cracks of the tiles, the patterns and tree shadows on the tiles, and even the wood grains and mottles on the eaves.

  Objectively speaking, the image quality improvement map released by the current cold water, while using the most advanced technology, also integrates a lot of Eastern ethereal and distant artistic conception, which is quite a "quality explosion".

  A small detail may go unnoticed, but a good game is made up of these details.

  In order to make this inconspicuous ice scene look more "real", the development team worked hard for several months, which seemed to be a bit "thankless".

  However, the anti-water cold technical team has well presented the concept of daring to be the first in the world, always committed to exploring the most cutting-edge graphics technology, and constantly challenging the limits of hardware and algorithms. They scoff at the so-called "cost performance of R & D", and only want to bring real, more real, and surpassing real game images to players.

  This is also something they are still pursuing in the future.

  As for the breakthrough in artistic style and scene refinement this time, let’s wait and see how players at home and abroad will perceive it!

The stars gather for the Spring Festival Gala of the Federation of Literary and Art Circles, Jackie Chan’s head appears as the vice chairperson of the Film Association


  Jackie Chan, who appeared for the first time as the newly elected vice chairperson of the China Film Association, sang "Hard to Say Goodbye" at the Spring Festival Gala of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles on the 10th. Ying Ni, photo



Song Zuying concluded the party with a song "To the Motherland". Photo by Ying Ni


  China News Service, *******, January 10 (Reporter, Ying Ni) The annual ****** Festival Gala ** China’s literary and art circles is already the seventh. This year will usher in the 60th anniversary ** New China and the 60th anniversary ** the founding ** the China Federation ** Literary and Art Circles. Therefore, this year’s gala will closely focus on the theme ** "I want to say to the Republic…". According to 11 art categories such as drama, film, music, artists, quyi, dance, folk literature and art, photography, calligraphy, acrobatics, and television, a group ** classic programs and well-known artists will be displayed.


  First on the stage were Jiang Kun, Tang Jiezhong, Chang Baohua, Chang Guitian, Shi Shengjie, Li Guosheng and other 65 crosstalk experts, reviewing the development process of folk art in the past 60 years in the form of "crosstalk cantatas".


  Subsequently, Mei Baojiu, the son of Peking Opera master Mei Lanfang, led Li Shengsu, the descendant of the Mei School, and Hu Wenge, a disciple of the Mei School, to perform the classic verse of Peking Opera "The Concubine is Drunk" on the spot. Peking Opera performing artists Yu Kuizhi and Meng Guanglu presented a wonderful excerpt from the new epic Peking Opera "Red Cliff".


  Jackie Chan, who first appeared as the newly elected vice-chairperson of the China Film Association, today presented a down jacket to Lou Yuanyong, a farmer film projectionist. "This is Jackie Chan brand down jacket, I hope it can protect you from the wind and rain on the journey of future screenings." Then he sang the Olympic song "Hard to Say Goodbye" with his disciples to express his high respect for those who have silently dedicated themselves to the new Chinese film industry.


  TV series "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" director Gao Xixi led Cao Cao’s actor Chen Jianbin, Zhuge Liang’s actor Lu Yi, and Liu Bei’s actor Yu Hewei to the stage. Li Shaohong, director of TV series "Dream of Red Mansions", led Jia Baoyu’s actor Yu Xiaotong, Lin Daiyu’s actor Jiang Mengjie, Xue Baochai’s actor Li Qin, Wang Xifeng’s actor Yao Di, and Lu Yi to sing on the spot, forming a small climax.


  At the scene of this year’s gala, reporters saw a group of old artists such as Qin Yi, Yu Lan, Yu Yang, Cai Dan Zhuoma, Ding Yinnan, Dao Meilan, Yu Lan, Yu Yang, Wang Xiaotang, Ge Cunzhuang, etc.


  Song Zuying’s finale singing "To the Motherland" ended the party perfectly.


  It is reported that CCTV will broadcast the live video of the party during the Spring Festival.

Editor in charge: Li Erqing

Star Road Star Era ES Debuted at Chengdu Auto Show "World-class" Strength Super Eye-catching.

  Enjoy Rongcheng intelligently and see the future! On August 25th, 2023 Chengdu International Auto Show kicked off in the West China International Expo City. The "Super Comfortable Medium and Large Electric Car" Star Road Star Era ES made a heavy appearance. The comfortable design with "world-class" super power, platform technology advantages, naturalistic aesthetics and user experience as the first priority provided a full-dimensional "super comfortable" experience for warm and technological middle-class families.

  The aesthetics of wind stuns the audience and interprets the concept of elegant design of sports.

  The strength faction also has a high value. At the Chengdu International Auto Show, the first pure electric vehicle of the high-end brand Xingtu New Energy Product Series "Xingjiyuan" of Chery Group, with its unique aesthetic design, made the attendees feel excited.

  Star Age ES carved the body curve, outlining the slender body lines, with a golden ratio of about 5 meters long, nearly 2 meters wide and a wheelbase of about 3 meters, supplemented by ultra-low body, dynamic slip-back modeling inspired by water droplets in the wind and streamlined waistline design, which is simple without losing the charm of sports. It not only shapes the extremely dynamic back slip shape, but also brings 0.205Cd ultra-low wind resistance comparable to super running.

  When we look at the front face of the ES in the Star Age, the elegant and beautiful dynamic image of the butterfly is very eye-catching. The front headlights with horizontal penetration and two ISD intelligent interactive lights form a unique front face shape of the butterfly with wind feathers. Inspired by the butterfly’s flapping wings, the wind-language programmable interactive headlight consists of 972 LED lamp beads, which blends lightness and elegance into the unique dynamic shape of ES in the Star Age, perfectly blends the beauty, freedom and tenacious vitality of butterflies with modern scientific and technological elements, sharpening product recognition and conveying brand connotation.

  Four world-class superpowers, set the benchmark of electric car value.

  In the tide of technological empowerment, new products have emerged at an unprecedented speed, and the new energy automobile industry has entered the mainstream mass era from the "early adopter era". The automobile consumption market in China has become a world-class market in which global brands compete.

  Born globally, build world-class product strength. With the blessing of E0X’s global super-comfortable and high-performance electric platform, Star Age ES was guided by world-class product strategy at the beginning of its design, and realized four world-class superpowers of world-class "big space", world-class "true wisdom", world-class "super comfort" and world-class "low energy consumption", which brought subversive driving changes to the whole automobile industry and helped users experience a beautiful and comfortable car life with the ultimate product power.

  Mobile life, tolerance is the first. Xingyue ES has a world-class "big space", and the front and rear rows of shoulders, legs and head spaces are better than their peers. The "room rate" is as high as 70.2%, allowing users to enjoy the whole journey.

  Comfortable life, from the outside to the inside. Star Age ES creates a world-class "super comfort", and the whole system comes standard with air suspension +CDC, front double wishbone+rear five-bar linkage, turning bumps into smooth roads; The lowest wind resistance of 0.205Cd in the same class, combing the airflow to reduce wind noise and bring a quieter driving experience; The minimum turning diameter of 11.4m makes driving smoother and calmer.

  "Superpower" should not be shackled by distance. Star Age ES redefines the power consumption standard with world-class "low energy consumption" and expands the travel boundary of pure electric vehicles. As the first China brand car to mass-produce 800V high-voltage platform, the power consumption per 100 kilometers of the Star Era ES is as low as 11.7kWh, and it can last 150km after charging for 5 minutes, and it can be recharged by 30% to 80% in 15 minutes, with a long battery life of 720km, with low energy consumption, fast charging and long running distance.

  At the moment when major brands are competing for IQ, Star Age ES has defined world-class "true wisdom" and jointly built a "big model model" in the automobile industry with Iflytek, which relies on 512.
TOPS’s super computing platform, supplemented by higher perception hardware, leads the new wave of automobile intelligence development.

  Five good cockpit wisdom blessings to promote the all-dimensional advancement of travel space.

  "True wisdom" is not only easy to travel, but also physical and mental pleasure is more attractive. While providing worry-free, labor-saving and time-saving "three provinces" intelligent driving, Star Age ES has created a "five good" intelligent cockpit, which integrates good-looking, easy-to-use, good-listening and good-smelling, creating sensory surprises in multiple dimensions and making users always "like it".

  Star Age ES adopts an integrated embracing cockpit design to provide a more immersive, spacious and comfortable ride experience. The central control panel is an intelligent central control panel with 2.5K high color gamut, high saturation and high screen ratio, with a size of 15.6 inches. It is equipped with a brand-new, simple and scene-based HMI design, with clear picture, convenient operation and better visual experience.

  Thanks to 8155′ s powerful software and hardware platform, Star Age ES has carried out in-depth excavation in the dimensions of science and technology, entertainment, intelligent interaction, intelligent service, and full-scene collaboration. Based on scene development, it has maximized the user experience and made the cockpit know you, understand you and be more "easy to use".

  Up to now, cars are not only a simple means of transportation, but also an important part of life, and the importance of quality and health is increasingly prominent.

  Star Age ES carries Lion.
Melody sound system, equipped with 23 speakers, the peak power of the sound system can reach 1000W, supporting panoramic sound effects, creating a vast 3D surround sound field space and immersive feeling, as if moving the concert hall into the car; The main driver’s headrest speaker can realize the use experience of three different application scenarios, such as full car mode, driving mode and private mode, so that the owner can only listen to the "nice" sound.

  In order to let drivers and passengers take a deep breath in the car, Xingjiyuan ES uses AQS air quality management system, CN95 air filter and negative ion generator to realize intelligent air purification and build a healthy cockpit for 6A. At the same time, the intelligent fragrance easily dispels the odor, making the car fragrant all the time, creating a safe, comfortable, fresh and more "good-smelling" driving space. In addition, depending on the needs of users for rest and watching movies, the cockpit can be associated with the scene mode, and the nap mode, wake-up mode and cinema mode can be turned on intelligently, such as the intimate life assistant taking care of everything properly.

  In Jinguan City, the youth is splendid. Landing at the Star Age ES of Chengdu International Auto Show will surpass the expected "super-comfortable" image and bring a full-dimensional super-comfortable experience to warm and high-tech middle-class families. This appearance at Chengdu International Auto Show is also a preview of its official entry into consumer life. In the fourth quarter of this year, Star Age ES will be listed soon. At that time, more users will start from Star Age ES and open the door to "super comfortable" travel life.

NIO Quarterly Report: Revenue 17.10 billion Operating Loss 6.60 billion Delivered 5,045 Vehicles

  Source, Lei Di

  Lei Di.com, Lei Jianping, March 5

  NIO Group (NYSE: NIO; HKEx: 9866; SGX: NIO) today released financial results. The financial report shows that NIO’s full-year revenue in 2023 is 55.6179 billion yuan (7.8336 billion US dollars), an increase of 12.9% from 49.269 billion yuan in the previous year.

  NIO delivered 160,038 vehicles in 2023, an increase of 30.7% over 2022.

  NIO’s gross profit in 2023 was 3.0518 billion yuan (429.80 million USD), down 40.7% from the previous year; gross margin was 5.5%, compared to 10.4% in the previous year.

  NIO’s 2023 operating loss was 22.6552 billion yuan (US $3.1909 billion), up 44.8% from the previous year. Excluding equity incentive expenses, the adjusted operating loss (non-GAAP) in 2023 was 20.2861 billion yuan (US $2.8572 billion), up 52% from the previous year.

  NIO’s net loss for 2023 was 20.7198 billion yuan (US $2.9183 billion), up 43.5% from the previous year. Excluding equity incentive expenses, the adjusted net loss (non-GAAP) for the full year 2023 was 18.3507 billion yuan (US $2.5846 billion), up 51.1% from the previous year.

  Li Bin, founder, chairperson and CEO of NIO, said that in 2023, NIO set a new record for the delivery of 160,038 vehicles. On 2023 NIO Day, we launched the intelligent electric executive flagship ET9, showcasing a series of latest technologies such as self-developed AD chips, global 900V architecture, intelligent chassis system and other industries. "

  "We are about to start delivering the NIO 2024 model, which is equipped with the most powerful computing power in the production car, and continue to improve the user’s driving and digital experience. At the same time, we plan to introduce the NOP + urban pilot auxiliary feature to all NT2.0 users in the second quarter. Continued investment in technology, power exchange network and user community will enhance our advantage in future competition," said Li Bin.

  "Our automotive gross margin continues to grow, reaching 11.9% in the fourth quarter of 2023," said Beng Wei, NIO’s chief financial officer. "In December 2023, we completed a $2.20 billion strategic equity investment from CYVN, underscoring our unique positioning and competitiveness in the global smart electric vehicle industry. Looking to 2024, we will focus on high-priority business objectives, improve system capabilities, and further optimize cost management efficiency."

  NIO Q4 revenue 17.10 billion up 6.5%

  NIO’s fourth quarter 2023 revenue 17.1032 billion ($2.4089 billion), up 6.5% from $16.06 billion in the fourth quarter of 2022 and down 10.3% from $19.10 billion in the third quarter of 2023.

  NIO’s vehicle sales for the fourth quarter of 2023 were 15.4387 billion yuan ($2.1745 billion), up 4.6% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and down 11.3% from the third quarter of 2023.

  NIO delivered 50,045 vehicles in the fourth quarter of 2023, including 33,679 high-end smart electric SUVs and 16,366 high-end smart electric sedans, an increase of 25.0% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and a decrease of 9.7% from the third quarter of 2023.

  NIO delivered 10,055 vehicles in January 2024 and 8,132 vehicles in February 2024. As of February 29, 2024, NIO’s cumulative deliveries reached 467,781 vehicles.

  Just completed $2.20 billion equity financing

  NIO has applied to the competent authorities in Anhui Province to complete the filing of investment projects for pure electric passenger vehicles, and has been included in the directory of automobile manufacturers of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

  On 27 December 2023, NIO completed a US $2.20 billion strategic equity investment from Abu Dhabi-based investor CYVN Investments RSC Ltd (‘CYVN’). Together with the transaction previously completed in July 2023, CYVN beneficially holds approximately 20.1% of the total issued and outstanding shares of the Company.

  On February 7, 2024, NIO appointed Eddy Georges Skaf and Nicholas Paul Collins as new directors to the company’s board of directors. In addition, on the same day, James Gordon Mitchell resigned as a director of the company.

  On February 1, 2024, NIO completed the Offer of Repurchase Rights relating to its 0.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 (the’Notes’). The aggregate principal amount of the Notes validly filed and unwithdrawn prior to the closing of the Offer of Repurchase Rights is $300 million. After the Repurchase Settlement, the aggregate principal amount of the Notes remains outstanding at $910,000 and continues to be subject to the existing terms of the Deed and the Notes.

  NIO Q4 cost 15.80 billion increased by 2%

  NIO cost $15.80 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023, up 2% from $15.40 billion in the same period last year.

  NIO Q4 Gross 1.279 billion Gross Margin 7.5%

  NIO’s gross profit for the fourth quarter of 2023 was 1.2792 billion yuan (180.20 million USD), an increase of 105.7% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and a decrease of 16% from the third quarter of 2023.

  NIO’s gross margin was 7.5% in the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to 3.9% in the fourth quarter of 2022 and 8% in the third quarter of 2023.

  NIO’s automotive gross margin was 11.9% in the fourth quarter of 2023, compared to 6.8% in the fourth quarter of 2022 and 11% in the third quarter of 2023.

  NIO Q4 expenses 7.90 billion increased by 7%

  NIO’s expenses for the fourth quarter of 2023 were $7.90 billion, up 7% from $7.36 billion in the same period last year and up 24% from $6.37 billion in the previous quarter.

  NIO’s research and development expenses for the fourth quarter of 2023 were 3.9721 billion yuan (US $559.50 million), a decrease of 0.2% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and an increase of 30.7% from the third quarter of 2023. Excluding equity incentive expenses, research and development expenses (non-GAAP) were 3.6164 billion yuan (US $509.40 million), an increase of 1.8% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and 36.8% from the third quarter of 2023.

  R & D expenses remained relatively stable compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. R & D expenses increased compared to the third quarter of 2023, mainly due to higher design and development costs for new products and technologies and higher personnel costs in the R & D department.

  NIO’s R & D expenses for the full year 2023 were 13.4314 billion yuan (US $1.8918 billion), up 23.9% from the previous year. Excluding equity incentive expenses, R & D expenses (non-GAAP) were 11.9142 billion yuan (US $1.6781 billion), up 25.2% from the previous year.

  NIO’s selling, general and administrative expenses for the fourth quarter of 2023 were $3.9727 billion ($559.50 million), up 12.6% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and 10.1% from the third quarter of 2023. Excluding equity incentive expenses, selling, general and administrative expenses (non-GAAP) were $3.7815 billion ($532.60 million), up 16.1% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and 10.4% from the third quarter of 2023.

  NIO’s selling, general and administrative expenses in 2023 were $12.8846 billion ($1.8148 billion), up 22.3% from the previous year. Excluding equity incentive expenses, selling, general and administrative expenses (non-GAAP) were 12.1167 billion ($1.7066 billion), up 25.8% from the previous year.

  NIO Q4 operating loss 6.6253 billion operating margin -39%

  NIO’s fourth quarter 2023 operating loss 6.6253 billion ($933.20 million), down 1.6% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and up 36.8% from the third quarter of 2023.

  Excluding equity incentive expenses, the adjusted operating loss (non-GAAP) for the fourth quarter of 2023 was 6.0593 billion ($853.40 million), an increase of 0.7% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and 42.9% from the third quarter of 2023.

  NIO Q4 net loss 5.3677 billion narrowed year-on-year

  NIO’s fourth quarter 2023 net loss was 5.3677 billion ($756 million), down 7.2% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and up 17.8% from the third quarter of 2023. Excluding equity incentive charges, the adjusted net loss (non-GAAP) for the fourth quarter of 2023 was 4.8017 billion($676.30 million), down 5.2% from the fourth quarter of 2022 and up 21.5% from the third quarter of 2023.

  As of December 31, 2023, NIO held cash and cash equivalents, restricted cash, short-term investments and long-term time deposits of $57.30 billion (USD 8.10 billion).

  NIO expects Quarter 1 vehicle deliveries in 2024 to be between 31,000 and 33,000, a decrease of about 0.1% from the same quarter in 2023 to an increase of about 6.3%.

  NIO expects Quarter 1 revenue in 2024 to be between 10.499 billion yuan ($1.479 billion) and 11.087 billion yuan ($1.562 billion), a decrease of about 1.7% from the same quarter in 2023 to an increase of about 3.8%.

Lynk & Co New 09EM

  Lynk & Co’s flagship SUV, the new 09EM-P, launched two six-seat and two seven-seat models, priced from 307,800 yuan to 347,800 yuan. It is understood that the new car has been improved in terms of chassis materials, handling performance, space comfort and safety performance. So, which model is more suitable for purchase?

Lynk & Co's new 09EM-P which is more cost-effective _fororder_image001

  The new 09EM-P inherits the family classic design of the Lynk & Co brand "Urban Opposition Aesthetics". The middle grid grille that occupies a large area of the front of the car adopts a straight waterfall design, which has been blackened and treated with luxury and visual impact. The headlight group still adopts the iconic and sharp split design, which has a good recognition after lighting. There are large-size air intakes on both sides of the front of the car. The interior is embellished with chrome-plated trims to enhance the texture of the front face. The side shape of the new 09EM-P is very tough, and the rich line design presents a good light and shadow effect. The segmented waist line design is matched with blackened decorative pieces around the windows, which has a strong sense of movement. On the tail side, the taillight adopts a through design, and the layout of the internal light group module is more personalized. The exhaust layout is concealed and a bright black diffuser is added.   

Lynk & Co's new 09EM-P which is more cost-effective _fororder_image002

  Entering the car, the panoramic island cockpit reflects a symmetrical beauty. The 12.3-inch smart LCD instrument is paired with a 15.4-inch central control screen, which has a good sense of technology. In terms of power, relying on the Lynk & Co EM-P super range-extended electric solution, the new 09EM-P is equipped with 2.0T + 3DHT + three-motor layout. The maximum output power of the power system is 408kW, and the maximum output torque is 844N · m. It can achieve a CLTC pure electric cruising range of 190km, and a CLTC comprehensive cruising range of up to 1430km. The whole system is equipped with FYRA-E intelligent electric four-wheel drive system as standard, providing 7 dynamic driving modes.

  The seven-seat version of the new 09EM-P has two models, namely the seven-seat PLUS and the seven-seat PRO, priced at 307,800 yuan and 317,800 yuan. The two models have little difference in configuration, mainly reflected in some comfort configurations and atmosphere creation. 

Lynk & Co's new 09EM-P which is more cost-effective _fororder_image003

  Specifically, first of all, in terms of safety, the seven-seat version comes standard with front dual airbags, front side airbags, head air curtains (one row to three rows on the side), RP roll protection system, front pre-tightening force-limiting seat belts, ESP9.3 HEV body stability control system, CBC curve control system, DTV dynamic torque control system, ARP anti-roll protection system, front/rear parking assistance early warning system, 360 ° panoramic imaging system, 180 ° transparent chassis system, steering assistance image, and vehicle theft reminder and tracking. In terms of intelligent driver assistance system, the car is uniformly equipped with 1 forward camera, 1 rear camera, 4 surround view cameras, 5 millimeter wave radars and 12 ultrasonic radars. Other features come standard with DAC driver fatigue warning system, DMS driver status monitoring system, TSR traffic sign recognition system, FCW forward collision warning system, AEB active emergency brake assist system (with pedestrian identification), CVW vehicle rapid approach warning system, RCTA rear lateral oncoming warning system, TAA car active deflection system, etc. In the external configuration part, the new 09EM-P comes standard with AFS headlight follow-up steering system, ADB intelligent matrix high beam control system, AHB-C intelligent far and near light control system, adaptive headlights (low beam mode adjustment), sliding openable panoramic sunroof, first row of double-layer sound insulation glass, second row of double-layer sound insulation privacy glass, third row of privacy glass, electric trunk tailgate, exterior rearview mirror electric folding & heating & memory, etc.

Lynk & Co's new 09EM-P which is more cost-effective _fororder_image004

  Internal configuration part, the new car comes standard with leather multi-function physical button steering wheel, automatic anti-glare frameless rearview mirror, NAPPA leather seat, electric 12-way main and passenger seat adjustment (including 4-way electric waist rest), main driver seat memory function, front seat heating & ventilation function, dual temperature zone automatic air conditioning, passenger compartment PTC heating, glove box refrigeration function, active cockpit cleaning system, rain sensing integrated water spray system wiper, rain sensing sunroof & window closing, keyless entry & start system, 12.3-inch smart LCD meter, 15.4-inch central control screen, high fidelity audio (10), car 5G network, car Wifi hotspot, four-tone area voice interaction system, mobile APP remote control system, mobile phone wireless charging function and other configurations …   

  In terms of specific differences, the seven-seat PRO is 10,000 yuan more expensive than the seven-seat PLUS version. The electric adjustment of the main and auxiliary seats is upgraded from 12 to 16 (including 4-way electric lumbar support + flank support + seat cushion extension). The number of high fidelity audio is increased from 10 to 14 and adjusted to BOSE luxury audio. There are more front seat massage functions, second-row seat heating functions, AQS air quality management system, 12.8-inch full-color W-HUD head-up display, ANC active noise reduction system, streamer coral ambient light, and high definition driving recorder. 

Lynk & Co's new 09EM-P which is more cost-effective _fororder_image005

  In addition, the seven-seat PRO version can also be selected to the performance package, which includes dual-cavity air suspension, CCD continuously adjustable electronically controlled vibration damping system, multi-function electronic sun visor, main driver motor pre-tensioned seat belt, exterior rearview mirror welcome light, exterior rearview mirror automatic anti-glare – main driver side, NAPPA leather steering wheel, steering wheel electric four-way adjustment & heating & memory, rear passenger seat electric adjustment, front foldable aviation headrest, third-row seat electric folding and recovery, four-temperature zone automatic air conditioning, PM2.5 air quality detection system, Ocean Mystery fragrance system, second-row door side sunshade, and second-row air conditioning control screen.   

  The six-seat version has six-seat HALO and six-seat ULTRA models, priced at 327,800 yuan and 347,800 yuan respectively. On the basis of the configuration of the seven-seat PRO version, the six-seat HALO adds the pre-tensioned seat belt of the main driver motor, the welcome light of the outer rearview mirror, the automatic anti-glare of the outer rearview mirror – the main driver side, the electric four-way adjustment multi-function steering wheel, NAPPA leather steering wheel, steering wheel heating & memory, the electric leg support of the passenger seat, the memory function of the passenger seat, the function of one row of two rows to form a bed, the electric adjustment of the rear row of the passenger seat, the small table board of the rear row of the passenger seat, the ventilation & massage & lumbar support function of the second row of seats, the electric folding and recovery of the third row of seats, the automatic air conditioning in the four-temperature zone, the PM2.5 air quality detection system, the ocean mystery fragrance system, the second row of door side sunshades and the second row of air conditioning control screens.

Lynk & Co's new 09EM-P which is more cost-effective _fororder_image006

  In terms of the adjustment of the main and auxiliary seats, the six-seat version is equipped with the main driver electric 12-way (including 4-way electric waist support) and electric 14-way (including 4-way electric waist support + 4-way electric leg support), and the second row of seat adjustment is electric 4-way. Finally, look at the six-seat ULTRA model. As the top model, this car has only more CCD continuously adjustable electronically controlled vibration reduction system and dual-cavity air suspension system than the six-seat HALO version.

Lynk & Co's new 09EM-P which is more cost-effective _fororder_image007

  Since consumers have their own needs for the purchase of the seven-seat version or the six-seat version, the two versions can be purchased on demand. Specific to the model part, among the seven-seat versions, the PRO model has a higher technological configuration and a sense of luxury atmosphere. Consumers who pursue these two points can choose this model. After all, the price difference of 10,000 yuan is more cost-effective. If you only want seven seats, the PLUS version is enough for daily use if other functions don’t matter; and in terms of the six-seat version, the configuration of the two models will be richer. If you want air suspension, you can directly choose the ULTRA model. (Source: Lynk & Co Automotive)

Lei Jun fought against Dong Mingzhu, and Xiaomi dug old Gree employees to make air conditioners, which were ridiculed by Dong Mingzhu as sticker goods

A few days ago, the old photo of Dong Mingzhu and Lei Jun attending the meeting together became popular again. Dong Mingzhu in the picture "asked" Lei Jun: Just you? Can you also make air conditioners? Can you turn on air conditioners? Lei Jun silently responded to the Xiao Ai speaker: Xiao Ai, turn on the Mijia Internet air conditioner and turn off the Gree air conditioner!

It has to be said that Lei Jun and Xiaomi, who did not let go of any explosive points, launched the marketing copy of air conditioners to cater to the hearts of the people who love to watch the fun.

As expected, the next day, Xiaomi officially released the Mijia Internet air conditioner. This air conditioner labeled Mijia adopts Xiaomi’s commonly used pricing method: 1.5 horsepower, three-level energy efficiency standard, retail price of 1999 yuan, which is about 1,000 yuan cheaper than the big brands Gree and Midea congeneric products on the market, and the public test price is only 999 yuan.

It was still Lei Jun’s familiar formula and Xiaomi’s familiar taste.

01

A mysterious air conditioning company

"For this Mijia air conditioner, Xiaomi has started to form a team in the first half of last year, looking for OEM foundries, designing product prototypes, and also buying our air conditioner data reports," Dong Min, vice-president of Aowei Cloud Network, which provides information services, told AI Finance Agency.

Xiaomi’s air-conditioning business has always been in charge of Xiaomi’s ecological chain enterprise Zhimi Technology. The company responsible for the research and development and production of Xiaomi air-conditioners is a company called Zhuhai Sanyou.

From the industrial and commercial registration information, the legal representative of Zhuhai Sanyou is Liu De, the co-founder of Xiaomi and the head of Xiaomi’s ecological chain. The shareholder of Zhuhai Sanyou is Beijing Xiaomi Mobile Software Co., Ltd., with a 100% shareholding ratio. In short, Zhuhai Sanyou is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xiaomi.

A point person in Zhuhai Sanyou’s business is Xiao Youyuan. He was originally a senior executive of Gree, worked in Gree for 10 years, and was also a trusted person of Dong Mingzhu, who was in charge of Gree’s overseas business. In 2015, Xiao Youyuan was poached by Skyworth with his team and participated in the establishment of Skyworth Air Conditioning. Hundreds of Skyworth Air Conditioning people came from Gree that year.

Xiao Youyuan, who participated in the founding of Skyworth Air Conditioning

From the industrial and commercial registration information of Zhuhai Sanyou, Xiao Youyuan and the team worked in Skyworth for two years, and soon took the team to the wholly-owned subsidiary of Xiaomi, "because Skyworth and Gree have very different corporate cultures."

"As a private enterprise, Skyworth is used to’small input and big output ‘, while the Xiao Youyuan team from Gree has a style of’big work and fast work’." A person familiar with the matter told AI Finance Agency. In addition, Skyworth air conditioners encountered the "Little New Year" of air conditioners at the beginning, and their performance was not good. Gree and his group were gradually emptied of Skyworth air conditioners.

Xiao Youyuan’s team, who joined Xiaomi’s subsidiary, brought "Gree Feng" to Xiaomi. Wu Wei, who has visited the Sanyou production line and is also a supplier of air-conditioning components, told AI Finance Agency that Sanyou is a mysterious company, but "the solution is almost the same as Gree". For example, the MCU (microcontroller) is made by Texas Instruments, a large American manufacturer, the module is made by Fuji or Mitsubishi, and the IPM (intelligent power module, responsible for frequency conversion) is made by Ruineng.

"Everyone in their company seemed to be holding their breath. After Gree came out to Skyworth, Gree issued a ban order, and all Gree suppliers were not allowed to supply Skyworth. The team gambled so much and was finally washed out by Skyworth," Wu Wei said.

The team was eventually recruited to Lei Jun.

However, Wu Wei revealed that Sanyou currently has only two production lines of its own, and its annual production capacity is "only a few hundred thousand units". Therefore, in May 2017, Zhuhai Sanyou and Zhongshan Changhong jointly funded the establishment of Zhongshan Hongyou Electric Appliance Co., Ltd., with Zhongshan Changhong holding 60% and Zhuhai Sanyou holding 40%. It should be noted that Changhong is the foundry of Zhimi air conditioners this time.

According to people familiar with the matter, Xiaomi’s foundry is not in Mianyang, Changhong’s headquarters, but in Nantou Town, Zhongshan, not far from TCL’s headquarters.

02

Lei Jun’s obsession

This is the third time Lei Jun has tried to make air conditioners.

The first dates back to three years ago. When Lei Jun first entered the air-conditioning industry, he chose to cooperate with Dong Mingzhu’s old rival, Midea. This immediately annoyed Dong Mingzhu and directly accused the cooperation between the two sides as "two scammers together, a group of thieves". At that time, Midea had just been ordered by the court to compensate Gree 2 million yuan for stealing Gree’s patents.

But this Youth series air conditioner, priced at 3,099 yuan, did not cause much splash. The selling point at that time was that it was used in conjunction with the Xiaomi Mi Band, which could be set to automatically turn on when you go home, and automatically enter sleep mode when you feel you fall asleep.

Youth series air conditioner

Perhaps deliberately to highlight Xiaomi’s "Internet thinking" in the limelight, there is no display panel on the surface of the air conditioner. This means that if users want to know the temperature of the air conditioner in the room, they need to open their mobile phone, check the app or pick up the Xiaomi bracelet. This incredible design appeared in the first generation of products. Fortunately, this is the only cooperation between Xiaomi and Midea in the field of air conditioning.

"It’s impossible for Midea to raise competitors," says one air-conditioning supplier. In fact, Xiaomi decided to invest in Midea at the end of 2014, paying nearly 1.30 billion yuan for a 1.29% stake. But the shareholding relationship has not alleviated the conflict between the two sides in real business.

Millet’s tentacles have already extended to rice cookers, electric fans, water purifiers, electric kettles, cooking machines and many other small household appliances. This is Midea’s territory, which will inevitably lead to fierce collisions, and it is impossible to expect that Midea will be willing to help Xiaomi produce air conditioners. However, from an investment perspective, Midea’s share price has doubled in the past three years, and Xiaomi’s investment in Midea has been very successful, earning a lot of money.

The second time Xiaomi launched an air conditioner was in 2017, which was developed by Zhimi, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xiaomi. The minimalist design of this air conditioner has also won international design awards, and this design style has been carried over to the current Mijia air conditioner.

However, the price of the Zhimi air conditioner at that time was as high as 4,399 yuan. Although Su Jun, CEO of Zhimi Technology, said that there was almost no profit, such a high price did not have the pricing style of Xiaomi at all. Now the air conditioner has been removed from the Xiaomi mall.

Interestingly, in order to explain that his 4,399 yuan air conditioner was a conscientious price, Su Jun reported at the time that the quality of the current air conditioner was worse than that of more than ten years ago. "The original material was very solid, but now it is loose, and there are recycled materials in it. You don’t even need to open it, and you can feel the huge decline in quality just by the shell itself."

He said that Zhimi can also make its products cheaper than some 999 yuan air conditioners on the market, by using some inferior materials or even recycled materials to cut costs. "But that’s not something we can guide the quality of life of ordinary people, it doesn’t make sense."

But coincidentally, this time, the price of Mijia’s Internet air conditioner was exactly 999 yuan. However, it was embarrassing that the first user to get the goods couldn’t wait to hang the Xiaomi air conditioner on a second-hand trading platform on the same day.

03

Mi Ge Gree’s life?

What makes Lei Jun envious is that Dong Mingzhu’s Gree air conditioner profits are astonishingly high.

Chen Hang, chief analyst at Southwest Securities, told AI Finance Agency that Gree’s gross profit margin for air-conditioning products is above 35%, which is unusual in the home appliance industry known for price wars. Midea’s gross profit margin is slightly worse. But it is much higher than Xiaomi’s 10% gross profit for mobile phones.

High profits mean there is room to be compressed. This is also the direction of Xiaomi’s revolution, improving efficiency and reducing circulation costs.

This time, the air conditioner of Mijia brand, whether it is the price strategy or the product itself, looks much more reliable than the previous two times. But Dong Mingzhu has never been easy to bully. When Lei Jun entered the mobile phone market, it coincided with the market being on the eve of the transformation to smartphones, and the timing was excellent. But the air conditioner industry is relatively stable, the technology has existed for hundreds of years, and the market structure and corporate rhythm are quite stable.

Mijia air conditioner

"Gree will not be killed." Chen Hang analyzed that unlike other household appliances, air conditioners need to be installed, and one of Gree’s moats is a team of highly efficient ground installers. "Xiaomi will not have much impact on the giants in the short term."

"The competition of air conditioners is nothing more than the competition of brands and after-sales services." Lu Jianguo, deputy chief engineer of the Home Appliances Research Institute, also believes that now Xiaomi air conditioners are all new machines and have not yet reached the after-sales link. Users can take their mobile phones to the store for repair, but the air conditioner needs to be repaired at home, which will test the after-sales team of Xiaomi air conditioners.

Dong Min, vice president of Aowei Cloud Network, also expressed his concerns. Air conditioners are financial products. They are produced in winter and sold in summer, and they need to pay a lot of money in advance to stock up. To a certain extent, stocking up is also a gamble on the weather, and sales immediately rise in hot weather.

Dong Min was deeply impressed that when the weather was hot a few years ago, whoever had installers sold their air conditioners well. And this requires a huge ground force, which is not what Xiaomi is good at.

The bigger challenge comes from the supply chain. Back then, Xiaomi suffered a loss in the mobile phone supply chain and had been in short supply. Lei Jun went to South Korea to meet the boss of Samsung Electronics, hoping that the other party could guarantee the supply of mobile phone screens.

The risk of the supply chain is increasing in the air-conditioning market. The routine of these traditional large manufacturers is to build a huge capacity scale advantage first, and then firmly control the supply chain, especially the core components such as compressors, and finally achieve a stable market structure and profit margins.

"Compressors are a seller’s market," said Zhang Jie, a supplier of air-conditioning components. Gree and Midea produce their own compressors.

Zhang Jie revealed that there is a shortage of inverter compressors this year, and many air conditioner manufacturers have reduced production as a result. "Key components have been out of stock from this year to next year, so compressor companies must protect big factories, not millet."

AI Finance Agency learned from people familiar with the Xiaomi ecological chain that in order to get the upstream supply chain of air conditioners, Xiaomi paid a lot of money to obtain air conditioner compressors and IPM module parts. "They need to take out 30-4 billion to the compressor company to book the production capacity, which is equivalent to the table fee."

Dong Min believes that the air-conditioning business is designed and defined by Xiaomi in the short term, and Changhong conducts OEM OEM, because Changhong has a large volume and has the voice over, but according to the laws of TV and mobile phones, Xiaomi will definitely purchase and customize some important components in the future.

Zhang Jie was also a little surprised that Xiaomi chose Changhong OEM. "Changhong’s production line is relatively old, and it can’t be compared to the big factories." Changhong bought Meiling and Huayi in 2005 and 2007 respectively. Meiling is mainly responsible for the production of air conditioners and refrigerators in Changhong, while Huayi specializes in the production of compressors.

But in Zhang Jie’s opinion, Changhong’s Meiling air conditioners are not mainstream in the industry. The first echelon is Gree and Midea, the second echelon is Oaks, and the third echelon is Chigo, Haier, and Hisense. Meiling is outside these echelons.

Compared with the melee in the color TV market, the competition landscape of the air conditioner market is very clear. Gree and Midea firmly control the first camp of the market, and the two together occupy more than 50% of the market share. The remaining Oaks, Haier, Hisense, etc. have only a small market share.

"Xiaomi must have harvested the second and third camps first," Dong Min said. "Consumers have brand loyalty to the top few, but they have no impression of a lot of brands behind."

Asked in an interview with Mr. Dong in July what she thought of Xiaomi’s entry into the air-conditioning market, Mr. Dong understated: "We make it ourselves, they produce it under brand names. We are hardly on the same track, and we are not an industry type."

In fact, Dong Mingzhu had already reached for the mobile phone, while Lei Jun reached for the air conditioner. This was the lifeblood of the two families. When entering the other’s area of expertise, whether it was Lei Jun or Dong Mingzhu, their performance was difficult to satisfy.

04

Broken halberd "empty ice wash"?

Lei Jun "rose to the challenge", not just the bet with Dong Mingzhu, but the performance pressure may be a more important consideration for him to build air conditioners.

The Xiaomi Ecological Chain is a grand vision that Xiaomi has painted for the capital markets. In 2017, the Xiaomi Ecological Chain achieved 20 billion sales performance. Xiaomi has also set an ambitious goal for the ecological chain: 40 billion in 2018 and 80 billion in 2019. This means that the Xiaomi Ecological Chain needs to nearly double every year.

Xiaomi has proved its success in power banks, bracelets, sweeping robots, and air purifiers. But these products priced at tens of yuan or a few hundred yuan are a drop in the bucket for doubling the revenue of the ecological chain. According to the exclusive information of AI Finance Agency, Xiaomi made an organizational adjustment to the ecological chain team on July 27, and established a precious metals business department, an exploration product department, and an investment department under the ecological chain.

So far, Xiaomi has invested in more than 100 eco-chain companies and produced more than 1,600 SKUs of hardware products. But it is undeniable that Xiaomi specializes in industries where the original market is relatively chaotic and inefficient, typically color TVs, rice cookers, plug-in boards, and sweeping robots.

Take Xiaomi TV as an example. In the TV market that Xiaomi has entered, the share of leading brands such as Hisense and Skyworth is around 15%, and the share of other major brands is around 10%. The gap is not large. The melee pattern is conducive to Xiaomi’s competition for the market.

Because TV involves video content, for companies like Xiaomi and LeTV with operating experience, it is very familiar. And Xiaomi has also invested in video platforms such as iQIYI very early, and LeTV is known for video copyright. However, with the collapse of LeTV, the similarity of the two companies has also caused most of the share of LeTV super TVs to flow to Xiaomi. According to the data of Aowei Cloud Network, in April 2018, the total online and offline shipments of Xiaomi TVs exceeded all brands, ranking first in China.

"The categories that can contribute more than 2 billion can be exhausted, probably within 50. And among these 50, there may be only 10 fields that are relatively easy to enter." The person in charge of a Xiaomi ecological chain enterprise broke his fingers to the AI financial club. The bracelet can exceed 2 billion yuan, the sweeping robot can exceed 2 billion yuan, and the notebook can exceed 3 billion yuan.

If the Xiaomi ecological chain wants to double its growth, it has to enter the major home appliance market. In this market, Xiaomi has successfully won the TV market, and now there are only empty ice washers (air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines) left.

However, Xiaomi’s playing style is not universal, especially in the air ice washing market, where Xiaomi has encountered unprecedented resistance.

In early 2017, Xiaomi ecological chain enterprise Yunmi released the first Internet smart refrigerator with a crowdfunding price of 999 yuan. The following year, it launched an Internet smart refrigerator iLive priced at 1999 yuan, which supports Wi-Fi connection and can be remotely adjusted by mobile phone app. In addition to the refrigerator, Xiaomi ecological chain enterprise Xiaoji intelligent mini drum washing machine (Xiaomi version) launched a crowdfunding on the Xiaomi platform, priced at 1499 yuan.

However, none of these products were as successful as expected, and young people’s first ice wash didn’t really make young people buy it. Xiaomi, which is good at marketing, even lost money in terms of market volume.

Xiaomi has also entered the drone market, built by Xiaomi ecological chain enterprise Feimi, after two and a half years of research and development, the cost of the mold alone cost more than 4 million yuan. Lei Jun personally demonstrated in front of 1 million netizens through Xiaomi live broadcast. However, surprisingly, in the live broadcast of Xiaomi employees, the drone actually lost control, and finally "blew up", and died before he could beat him.

In fact, even if it doesn’t "blow up", Xiaomi will have a hard time making a difference in the drone market. In the drone market, DJI is an absolute giant. Under the Iron Curtain of DJI, almost no players can survive in the consumer drone market.

Five years ago, Dong Mingzhu and Lei Jun made 1 billion bet, which was judged by the revenue of the two companies.

Now, Lei Jun and Dong Mingzhu’s gamble is only 5 months away. Xiaomi’s revenue in 2017 is 114.60 billion yuan, while Gree’s revenue is 148.20 billion, and it is expected to break through 170 billion this year. Lei Jun has almost no chance of winning. It has to be said that in the face of Gree, which still maintains strong growth, Lei Jun should carry out a large-scale "encirclement and suppression" of Dong Mingzhu earlier. To make amends, Lei Jun should not care about temporary gains and losses, and it is not impossible for Xiaomi to surpass Gree. Even if Xiaomi air conditioner is not done, it can still drive the industry to change like a catfish, which is what Xiaomi has always been best at doing.

(Wu Wei and Zhang Jie are pseudonyms in the article)

Huawei HarmonyOS NEXT Hongmeng Galaxy Edition was commercially available in the fourth quarter, and developer beta was launched in the second quarter.

On January 18th, at the Eco Thousand Sails Sailing Ceremony held this afternoon, Huawei announced that the NEXT Hongmeng Galaxy Edition System Developer Preview Edition is open for application.

IT House learned from the press conference that Huawei HarmonyOS NEXT Hongmeng Galaxy Edition will launch the developer beta program in Q2 (second quarter).

Hongmeng Galaxy Edition will be realized.

Huawei has launched the NEXT Developer Preview Beta recruitment on January 15, and currently supportsHUAWEI Mate 60Mate 60 Pro, Mate X5 model registration. The HarmonyOS NEXT Developer Preview will no longer be compatible with open-source applications, only supporting kernel and system applications.

Huawei also revealed that it expects to have 5,000 apps completed native Hongmeng development by the end of this year.

Huawei announced that it has launched the 7 billion + RMB "Shining Star Plan" to continue to encourage ecological innovation such as Hongmeng native applications, meta services, and SDKs.

Related reading:

"Huawei Releases HarmonyOS NEXT Hongmeng Galaxy Edition, Developer Preview Open Application"

"Huawei Hongmeng Galaxy Edition system interface debut: HarmonyOS NEXT new control center, colorful color scheme"

"Huawei HarmonyOS NEXT Developer Preview Official Page Launched, Key Development Features Announced"